RENSSELAER -- After the 2010 census, the city received a letter from the state informing it that some of its wards were too populated, prompting a redistricting plan that aims to reduce the city's nine wards to six, removing three Common Council members. City Republicans have been claiming that the process thus far has been highly partisan, improper, and undertaken with the intent to gerrymander, while local Democratic officials see their claims as posturing in preparation for the upcoming election.

"We think it is a great idea, but from the beginning the process has been incorrect," said Colleen Pierson, speaking for the city Republican Committee. Pierson is seeking to oust Mayor Daniel Dwyer in the upcoming election.

The Democrat-dominated Common Council passed a resolution last Wednesday authorizing the redistricting. The last hurdle for the resolution to clear becomes law is the mayor's signature. Dwyer will convene a public forum on the resolution at 4 p.m. today in City Hall.

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The claimed redistricting troubles began when only city Democrats were chosen to head the redistricting committee, said Lou Lourinia, chairman of the city's Republican committee. Lourinia and Pierson claim the committee should have tried to include other parties.

"I held three public hearings and more than 100 percent tried to involve them," contends Council President Harry Adalian, a Democrat. "They were involved, they had input, and I had them down at City Hall and the northeast firehouse -- I did everything I could."

The Republicans also stated that there was little advance public notice of the public meetings, a claim bolstered by Brian Stall, the lone Independence Party member on the on the Common Council. The last time there was a referendum, the council placed notices much further in advance, said Stall.

Patrick Riley, chairman of the city Democratic committee, noted that if Stall wanted to be part of the process and be aware of ongoing issues, he should attend more council meetings.

The first major impropriety, according to Lourinia, occurred when the Democrats submitted signatures to put the issue up for referendum. That effort required 263 signatures; however, said Lourinia, the signatures submitted by the Democrats were short by 109. He brought the issue up with the state Committee on Open Government and the Board of Elections, but was notified that they could not intervene.

Riley, however, contests the allegation, stating that there was lack of signatures because the Republicans refused to carry petitions. Moreover, said Adalian, as the Common Council is overwhelmingly Democratic, he could have put the issue up for vote through a local law, but choose to put it to referendum to try and involve the Republicans, who turned it political because "they thought it would lose."

Such a belief would be plausible, given that a similar effort began after the 2000 census was voted down. The recent redistricting passed by roughly a three to two margin.

"In my estimation, [Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Larry] Bugbee let them down. [...] The Republicans up at the county knew there was an issue down here, and everybody else knew, but they ignored the issue," said Adalian. "The [local Republicans] got caught by surprise."

Further Democratic wrongdoing is alleged when a mailing was sent out to voters prior to the election, encouraging them to pass the referendum.

"It made it sound like the entire Council was in favor," said Stall. He explicitly told Adalian, that he did not approve of the referendum and that the wording should be altered. The mailing was sent without any changes, and was paid for from the city's pocket.

The changes have combined districts one and two, three and four, and five and six. A very large ninth ward -- in excess of 1,400 voters -- was reduced, while seven and eight were enlarged, said Riley. The previous districts had a registered voting populace of around 300-400, but the new districts are generally in the range of 750-900.

"When we had the public hearings, if they felt there was some gerrymandering, they should have brought that up," said Adalian. "Now they are trying to do is backpedal on the people's wishes."